Postcode lottery reveals where young people will prosper

The fate of the next generation is in their postcode, according to new
research that compares the chances of success across UK regions.

Compare Futures allows teenagers and parents to see how their prospects match up to the national average.Photo: ALAMY

6:52AM BST 20 Jul 2012

The likelihood of young people going to university and finding full-time work can be predicted according to where they live thanks to a new website.

The data, studied by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, shows those living in Kensington and Wimbledon in London were destined for a good education and career, with 30 in 100 18-year-olds studying at a top 20 university.

However, in Hull, fewer than 0.1 per cent of teenagers can expect to attend an elite university.

The charity launched Compare Futures to show how the area in which children grow up can affect their life chances and opportunities.

According to their findings, gathered by universities, the capital was a tale of two cities with poor prospects for school-leavers in Camberwell and Peckham in south London, and Hackney in east London.

Parts of the West Midlands including Birmingham and West Bromwich, as well as Liverpool and Sheffield, were also areas where the outlook was limited for young people.

Further north, Sixth Formers in Harrogate were seven times more likely to go to a top university than their peers 20 miles away in Bradford.

Those behind the project said it showed that the concept of a postcode lottery was in fact a reality.

Annika Small, CEO, said: "The powerful data available through Compare Futures proves what we've known for a long time – the postcode lottery is not a myth but in fact a harsh and very bleak reality for Britain's young people.

"We'd urge policymakers, youth workers, and other professionals working with young people to take note of the fact that our current system is failing today's youth, and that a fresh approach is required."

Users can enter their postcode into the website and see how their area compares to the national average for employment, education and qualifications.

Richard Garside, director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, said: "We are taught that life is what you make it, that the able will succeed, regardless of background.

"But the site shows that where you are born and where you grow up has a huge influence on where you end up.

"The site will help young people and their families lobby their MPs to challenge the postcode lottery."